Santa....what do/did you tell your children?

marleyboy

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

......and without those fairies at the bottom of the garden, life would just not be the same!!!!!

It's the Kitchen they inhabit here, else there would be nothing left to eat with.

minimoneysaver

We had this issue come up at school. There was an autistic child in mainstream school. They strongly believed in Santa etc. It came to the point that they were leaving for high school In trying to ensure that bullying would be kept to a minimum this topic came up. It was decided that the child needed to be hold before leaving for high school as they frequently talked about Santa etc to the other children. Not so much of a problem in primary where there is a very strong teacher/helper presence in the school. Not quite the same in high school.

I still feel really guilty that I was a part of the conversation

kingfisherblue

Father Christmas is alive, well, and keen to know what parents want to give their children. I communicate with him via email, that it is a magic email address that only mums and dads can use. I know this because my son truly believes it. Although he is 15, he has a mental age of about five. He has Down's Syndrome and numerous medical problems, so is always shattered by 9pm, which is his bedtime. His younger brother has helped me to carry everything downstairs since he was about nine years old, but keeps up the pretence for my other son.

When my older son sees presents in my room, I tell him that because Father Christmas is so busy, I am helping him out. FC only needs everything on Christmas Eve, when his magical powers help him to get all the presents to boys and girls all over the world. Of course, tracking FC on NORAD and having night time in Australia when it is daytime over here, helps FC to visit every household.

We always leave out a carrot for Rudolph, with a drink of juice or milk and a biscuit for FC (no alcohol as FC is driving!). They never manage to finish it all, because so many other children are generous enough to leave snacks as well. Mind you, FC is a bit messy and leaves crumbs! They both have their own plates, painted by the boys.

I am up several times a night with my son, so it is inevitable that he notices the stockings. However, he isn't allowed to look at them until we get up, which is no earlier than 7am. Then, both boys and my adult daughter join me in bed with their stockings. I think this year will be the last that my daughter is at home, as she and her fianc! are saving for a deposit for a home of their own. Stockings are opened in my bed before we go downstairs, and yes, we always find that Father Christmas has been

jackomdj

In our house Father Christmas does stockings and some presents. Other presents come from us or family or friends.

Our eldest has just turned 9. This will be her first year not believing :-( although she has promised not to let on to her 6 year old sister.

ciderwithrosie_2

Mojisola wrote: »

And how do you explain that Father Christmas always brings rich kids much better presents? Most kids can see how unfair that is from quite a young age.

Eh? I said Father Christmas only brings the stocking presents - which would be of fairly similar content to any household I imagine. We used to get an orange, apple, chocolate coins, a rolled up blower thing, and a few other little gifts that would fit in one of my dad's old football socks. I know my best friend always used to get a toothbrush amongst other things.

It was always known by me and my brothers and later by my boys that Mum and Dad give the main presents. My boys have never complained if their friends had more expensive presents because their parents were wealthier - they never asked for much and were happy with what they had.

katiejones

My eldest two (20 and 11) no longer believe, but still keep up the pretence for the 7 year old. I would think this will be his last believing year. They all still get stockings and pressies. The whole family get presents from Santa (tags written with the wrong hand). The children have always known that we pay for the presents, but Santa decides if they have been good enough to recieve them. x

newbutold

Never told the truth, & still tell oldest you don't believe, you don't get!! My oldest believed until they started high school, the younger one still believes, despite some of their class not believing.

Stocking presents are from Santa. Presents under the tree are from Mum & Dad.

building_with_lego

minimoneysaver wrote: »

We had this issue come up at school. There was an autistic child in mainstream school. They strongly believed in Santa etc. It came to the point that they were leaving for high school In trying to ensure that bullying would be kept to a minimum this topic came up. It was decided that the child needed to be hold before leaving for high school as they frequently talked about Santa etc to the other children. Not so much of a problem in primary where there is a very strong teacher/helper presence in the school. Not quite the same in high school.

I still feel really guilty that I was a part of the conversation

A friend of mine confessed that she'd told her son just before he started secondary school. He was devastated, but as she pointed out would he rather have run the risk of being teased about still believing?


Mine are almost ten and six; both still believe in Father Christmas and the tooth fairy. I suspect I'll have to break the news to the big one but the little one is fairly close to working it out.
Stockings come from FC, everything else is bought by relatives and friends but delivered by the big man himself.

barbiedoll

I still sign gift tags as "From Father Christmas"....although everyone knows that they are from me!

My DS (15) still asks every year if the FC that visited him in his bedroom when he was younger, was really his dad. We always deny it and he wracks his brains trying to think who else it could possibly have been. I still remember those Christmas Eves with great fondness, we have a tree decoration with sleigh bells on it and DH, dressed in his Santa outfit, used to jingle it before he'd creep into DS's bedroom as I was reading "The Night before Christmas" book to him (with a very dim bedside lamp )
DS would get a little present to open there and then, usually a book or a small train or car, I can remember him being enthralled, if a little nervous!

He wasn't fooled by the Santa at our local playgroup though. He would never visit Santa in a shopping centre or store, they scared him to death. But Santa at the playgroup was ok as he "sounded exactly like George" (the caretaker!) :rotfl::rotfl:

Hermia

Mojisola wrote: »

And how do you explain that Father Christmas always brings rich kids much better presents? Most kids can see how unfair that is from quite a young age.

I do actually remember thinking this as a child. The problem is adults all said it was about being good/bad yet I was getting a fraction of the presents other kids had even though I was a good kid. I remember crying one year because the school bully received over 100 expensive presents. I remember asking my mum why she was being rewarded when she bullied everyone. I really wish my mum had just told me the truth then.